Whoever decided women shouldn't have body hair must have been a man too (but that's another story and I feel so much nicer when I'm silky smooth and shiny anyway, so I've started thinking like that too).

Mammograms: I've had rather too many over the years as one tit is slightly (but noticably) bigger than the other. Left tit, on top of my heart. That's normal. Now they want me to go back for another mammogram, which I'm resisting as I don't like unnecessary x-rays.

>>>They are much better nowadays though, they don't hurt anymore. They don't try to flatten your boob between two metal sheets, it's a one-sideways thing now and is no longer painful. It's okay. Doesn't hurt, honest. Go get it done, without fear.

I've got a lump (looks like a new muscle) under my armpit, so I went to get it checked out. I had a mammogram 3 years ago and all was fine. So they did ultrasound. They said it's not a lymph node, it's nothing. But then the consultant decides they need to do another mammogram.

I've since figured out my funny underarm bump is like a piece of grissle. God knows how many times the salon has used wax which is too hot. I've even waxed myself frequently, so I've almost certainly messed up the hair follicles. But I know my body. I know this is nothing. Noone has ever noticed it (I wouldn't have unless I'd been posing and looking at myself sideways), so I know I'm okay. But they wanna keep doing mammograms.

I've got to go sort that out next week because the doctor at the breast clinic only requisitioned an ultrasound and then the consultant told her off. I was explaining, (attempting to take up as little time and resources as possible).

And the wonderful doctors and consultants are working there every day having to tell women they have breast cancer and I'm trying to tell them my lump is a little grissle from hot wax.

Sorry to be all happy-go-lucky if you do know someone who has had the mammogram with the bad prognosis...

Whoever decided women shouldn't have body hair must have been a man too (but that's another story and I feel so much nicer when I'm silky smooth and shiny anyway, so I've started thinking like that too).

Mammograms: I've had rather too many over the years as one tit is slightly (but noticably) bigger than the other. Left tit, on top of my heart. That's normal. Now they want me to go back for another mammogram, which I'm resisting as I don't like unnecessary x-rays.

>>>They are much better nowadays though, they don't hurt anymore. They don't try to flatten your boob between two metal sheets, it's a one-sideways thing now and is no longer painful. It's okay. Doesn't hurt, honest. Go get it done, without fear.

I've got a lump (looks like a new muscle) under my armpit, so I went to get it checked out. I had a mammogram 3 years ago and all was fine. So they did ultrasound. They said it's not a lymph node, it's nothing. But then the consultant decides they need to do another mammogram.

I've since figured out my funny underarm bump is like a piece of grissle. God knows how many times the salon has used wax which is too hot. I've even waxed myself frequently, so I've almost certainly messed up the hair follicles. But I know my body. I know this is nothing. Noone has ever noticed it (I wouldn't have unless I'd been posing and looking at myself sideways), so I know I'm okay. But they wanna keep doing mammograms.

I've got to go sort that out next week because the doctor at the breast clinic only requisitioned an ultrasound and then the consultant told her off. I was explaining, (attempting to take up as little time and resources as possible).

And the wonderful doctors and consultants are working there every day having to tell women they have breast cancer and I'm trying to tell them my lump is a little grissle from hot wax.

Sorry to be all happy-go-lucky if you do know someone who has had the mammogram with the bad prognosis...

xLinda

My mother just recently died of Pancreatic Cancer (4/12/06, she was only became ill and diagnosed in January), her only brother died several years ago from Lymphoma and Melanoma, and her only sister was just diagnosed with breast cancer in June and had a masectamy done last week with not very good results (it's become very aggressive). So my advice is to be checked, be cautious and be safe. 3 different people from 1 immediate family with 3 different cancers.

My mother just recently died of Pancreatic Cancer (4/12/06, she was only became ill and diagnosed in January), her only brother died several years ago from Lymphoma and Melanoma, and her only sister was just diagnosed with breast cancer in June and had a masectamy done last week with not very good results (it's become very aggressive). So my advice is to be checked, be cautious and be safe. 3 different people from 1 immediate family with 3 different cancers.

Sorry for your loss, especially your mother. It's terrible for a daughter to lose her mother, and I sympathize as I lost mine to cancer when I was 19. It also happened very quickly. More than likely it was for the best, as your mother would have suffered terribly. Because of that, my sister and I constantly get doctors telling us we should be getting mammograms much earlier in life... maybe it's a good idea.

Sorry for your loss, especially your mother. It's terrible for a daughter to lose her mother, and I sympathize as I lost mine to cancer when I was 19. It also happened very quickly. More than likely it was for the best, as your mother would have suffered terribly. Because of that, my sister and I constantly get doctors telling us we should be getting mammograms much earlier in life... maybe it's a good idea.

She painfully suffered for 2 months. They had to put a tube in her nose down to her stomach because her stomach was filling with black shit, they removed that and put it directly into her stomach so that she could at the very least have sips of water. She wasn't able to eat solid food during her last 3 weeks of her life. I regret the fact that I didn't get to do/say a lot of things before she left me. I miss her terribly.

i feel for your loss. You're right Flower it doesn't discriminate between the sexes. However it is mmuch more common in women. Men usually get other cancers (prostate) regularly. One of my sisters used to find lumps, but hers were caused by excessive caffiene, my mother had some of the same issues. Mammograms are not fun. I worked in a hospital and reguarly did rotations in radiology. there are better machines out there now, but since they are more expensive, doctors offices opt for the older style equipment. As far as the amount of radiation emitted from xray machines, it is minimal and not to be really concerned over. As far as "popping" an implant, it is actually difficult to do. Obviously tell your doctor if its a new dr, that you have implants before the test. I've only seen one implant pop, but that was a very severe accident.

I just completed the last of my 8 sessions of Chemo and will start my once a day for 5 minutes radiation for the next 5 weeks shortly. I will also continue my infusion of Herceptin every 21 days until June/July 07, after which I will hopefully have the port-a-cat taken out of my chest and have reconstructive surgury. Lest I forget, I will also take a little pill every day for the next 5 years. Never thought I would ever be diagnosised with breast cancer. I would skim over articles dealing with bc since because I thought I was safe. There was never any evidence of cancer of any kind in my family history. What I have quickly found out is that 1 out of every 7 women will be diagnosised with BC and that BC doesn't discriminate. Mine was discovered 1 month after I had my annual physical. What I also found out is that those "clear" mammogram reports that you get back don't necessarily say that there isn't any cancer. There could be particles there that have the potential to develop but at that moment are not causes for alarm.

It isn't enough to have a proper diet and exercise program, although that helps. It is also important to take care of yourself and make sure that you check yourself everyday and have mammograms as prescribed by the doctors. Don't put them off because you think that you can. From the numbers of ladies I see at the infusion center, they come in all sizes, all ages, with and without family histories of bc or any cancer for that matter. There is a great deal of advancement in treatments and for that I am eternally grateful.

I just completed the last of my 8 sessions of Chemo and will start my once a day for 5 minutes radiation for the next 5 weeks shortly. I will also continue my infusion of Herceptin every 21 days until June/July 07, after which I will hopefully have the port-a-cat taken out of my chest and have reconstructive surgury. Lest I forget, I will also take a little pill every day for the next 5 years. Never thought I would ever be diagnosised with breast cancer. I would skim over articles dealing with bc since because I thought I was safe. There was never any evidence of cancer of any kind in my family history. What I have quickly found out is that 1 out of every 7 women will be diagnosised with BC and that BC doesn't discriminate. Mine was discovered 1 month after I had my annual physical. What I also found out is that those "clear" mammogram reports that you get back don't necessarily say that there isn't any cancer. There could be particles there that have the potential to develop but at that moment are not causes for alarm.

It isn't enough to have a proper diet and exercise program, although that helps. It is also important to take care of yourself and make sure that you check yourself everyday and have mammograms as prescribed by the doctors. Don't put them off because you think that you can. From the numbers of ladies I see at the infusion center, they come in all sizes, all ages, with and without family histories of bc or any cancer for that matter. There is a great deal of advancement in treatments and for that I am eternally grateful.

I am sorry to hear of your situation rotiron and I will be also thinking of you while my Aunt is going through her chemo and what not. It's just really screwed up. Almost seems like an outbreak of some sort.

Thank you Cheri. I will keep your Aunt in my thoughts. I asked my oncologist if our numbers were increasing because women were having mammograms as part of their routine physical and he said that it played a role in finding cancer, but he also said that our lifestyles, while not the main reason, might also contribute to greater incidences of cancer. Previous generations of women had healthier diets and were more active. I'm not talking having a exercise program or playing sports, rather that they did not have the convinences that we have. They walked more, carried more, did not have all the appliances we have to make our lives easier. We add supplements which might not be healthy for us. We drive, when we can walk, etc.

Here's the good news. Most women are beating BC. A diagnosis doesn't automatically mean a shortened life or death sentence. Current thinking, based on research, allows for breast preservation (thru lumpectomies) rather than having a masectomy. My cancer was estrogen positive, progestrone positive and HER positive (that last part means an aggressive form of cancer). It also required that if I wanted to beat this, I would have no other options than taking an aggressive treatment of Chemo, radiation and Herceptin for a year. I was and am ok with that because my outcome looks very good. I have lessen my chances of reoccurrence by taking this aggressive approach. It also means that I must change my lifestyle, a healthier diet and exercising 7 days a week because current thinking is that less weight and exercising lowers estrogen levels. A positive mental attitude also is beneficial. On one hand, it saddens me that 1 out of 7 women will get BC because those are huge numbers in my opinion; however, on the other hand, it means that the numbers are so great that there is more than enough interest and money in developing the research to end BC.

Even though heart attacks are the #1 killer of women today, it is still BC that strikes fear in women so there is more interest in it. I also think that because BC is not age, hereitary, or lifestyle (because women who are phyically active or healthy can get it) discrimate, more women are concern about getting that than getting a heart attack, ergo, more money spent there.

I don't know what stage your Aunt is at or what her original pathology was, but I believe she will do so much better because of medical advancements. I also know that if she knows that people are pulling for her, praying for her and letting her know that she is not alone in this battle, that will help her tremendously. Treat her as if she is still among the living. My biggest battle was convincing people that this was not a death sentence. I even had to chastised my older sister, not to say that I was brave, because to me it had negative connotations. Yes I was brave to have a needle stuck in my arm or through my chest, but then I have always been a sissy when it came to needles. But to be brave because of what I was going through for 7 hours every 21 days?! Nah, it was a means to an end. Life. That's what it is all about.

Yes, thank you very much Rotiron for sharing your experience and the information. Since my mother died of breast cancer when I was quite young, I avoided reading anything about it for a long time because it was just a reminder and too painful, and to this day I suppose any mention always coincides with a little stab of fear in the heart. But it is important to know as much as we can.